


Shaken

by FrenchRoast



Category: Animorphs - Katherine A. Applegate
Genre: F/M
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2019-10-07
Updated: 2019-10-07
Packaged: 2020-11-27 01:42:57
Rating: Mature
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,062
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/20940209
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/FrenchRoast/pseuds/FrenchRoast
Summary: Set right as book #30 ends, when Rachel comes to visit Marco.





	Shaken

I looked down at my hands as Rachel started to leave. I almost didn't say it, but it came out anyway. “What if she isn’t dead? What if she really did survive? Oh, God, what if there’s a next time?”

Rachel came back and sat beside me on the bed. She didn’t hug me. Rachel’s not a hugger. But she sat there with me.

“One battle at a time, Marco. One battle at a time.”

Not much of an answer. But the only answer I had.

“Try the movie channel,” Rachel said. I aimed the remote control. Turned on the TV; a James Bond movie. And Pierce Brosnan was just about to deliver the classic line.

“Bond. James Bon—“ I began to say with him.

“Marco, do you think Tobias…” Rachel stopped. I turned slightly.

“Do I think Tobias what?”

“Do you think he’ll ever…he won’t give up flying, will he?”

I blinked. When did Rachel ever ask me anything Bird-boy related? I shrugged. “Would you?”

A frown. “Yeah. I would. Of course."

“What about the grizzly? The elephant? Those, too?”

Obvious hesitation. She sighed. “I know what you’re getting at, Marco. I would. For Tobias, I would.”

“What about shopping? And your house? Walking? Could you give up being human?”

Silence. Except for the gun shot rounds Brosnan was firing off at the bad guys. _Man. James Bond has no idea. No idea._ _I could do that in my sleep. I wonder how Bond would handle Dracon beams?   
_

“He is human, though,” Rachel said after a few more moments of silence.

“And he’s a hawk. Christ, Rachel, his idea of small talk is whether there are thermals or not. He eats mice for breakfast, not a toaster strudels. Not even mice-flavored toaster strudels.”

I could see her biting her lip. Not a normal Rachel facial expression.

“Look, if you wanted the happily ever after answer, you should’ve asked Cassie.”

Another sigh. “Yeah. I did.” A slight grin. And I liked her answer a lot better than yours. But I think you might be right." She looked back at the TV. Then, “would you?”

I raised an eyebrow. “Would I what?” This visit was getting more and more interesting. “Give up being a hawk? Sure.”

“Funny.”

“That’s what everyone says. They usually include ‘cute, amazing, and manly,’ too.”

“Manly? Since when are you ‘manly?’ “ Rachel asked, poking me.

“For awhile now, Xena.” I stood up and lifted my shirt up over my head. Tossed it to the floor.

Rachel’s jaw literally dropped. “When did you get muscles?” 

“I don’t always morph a gorilla when I go lift weights.”

“So I see,” she said, eyeing me. I sat back down on the bed. And she reached over. Put her hand…

Well, you’re reading an adult rated fanfic that’s been pretty tame up to this point. I bet you can guess where she put her hand.

“Xena…are you sure you..oh.” Her hands were unfastening things now. Things like the buttons of her shirt. Then she pulled the drawstring on my sweatpants. “I mean, I’m not objecting or anything. Just wanted to make sure you’re not delusional.”

“Marco.”

“Yes?” God. This was some cruel joke. Had to be. Any second, she was going to walk out.

“Shut. Up.” She kissed me. Not a peck on the lips. A kiss that would’ve made the whole of France envious. We pulled apart, surfacing for air. I helped her get her shirt off. Or ripped it off her. 

Close enough.

“Just don’t tell Cassie. She’ll be jealous.” I kissed her back before she could retort. Her hands were on my shoulders, my back. Rachel’s hands. Not Jake’s, not Tobias’s, and definitely not Ax’s many-fingered blue hands. Rachel’s.

I pulled back to look at her unbuckling her belt. Long blonde hair. Black leotard. Jeans over that. Blue eyes. Definitely Rachel.

“What?”

“Are you sure you’re not Ax in morph?”

She stared back. Her jeans were off now. “Marco…”

“I--I just had this weird nightmare once, and…well, it was really weird.” _Marco, what the hell is wrong with you?! Why didn't you shut up when she told you to? _ I asked myself. 

_Because I'm clearly an idiot,_ I told myself.

“Do you not want to do this?” she asked, edging away slightly.

“No! I mean, yes! I mean—“

“Because I’m not morphing Ax if that's what you're into.”

“Gah, no! I don’t want you to!”

“Then shut up and help me get this leotard off.” I looked at Rachel in the leotard and realized something important. Leotards are a little more complicated than normal girls’ underwear. And I wasn’t exactly experienced there, either. But she wanted me to help. So I tugged at a sleeve while kissing her fiercely. That’s how you describe it, right? Kissing fiercely is one of those Harlequin standbys. A Nora Roberts specialty.

Not that I’d know or anything.

Rachel almost had it off now. Then…POP!

“Aaargh!” I clutched my now-bleeding cheek.

“Are you okay?”

“Spandex isn’t supposed to do that!” As she stepped out of it, the fabric had caught on one of her toes. She’d yanked it. And it snapped like a rubber band, hitting me on the cheek. That was the POP.

“You’ll live,” she said, wiping my cheek clean. I muttered something about getting smited. Smote. Smoted? And then I got a full glimpse of her. She really was gorgeous. And she wanted me. Me.

Right?

We started kissing again.

Did it even matter who she wanted?

She had my boxers off now. I tried not to wonder how she’d managed to get those off without my noticing. Tried not to wonder if she’d done this before. Or who she’d done it with.

I was on top, but only briefly. We rolled on the bed, and she ended up above me, her hair draping around me, a canopy of blonde. “Rachel…” I started to say, but we were gasping now, both of us. A piece of her hair fell into my mouth. I had to spit to get it out. Her eyes were closed.

And finally, finally…

“Rachel, I…I—“

“Oh...Tobias.” Soft. Simple.

Wait. _Tobias?_ Oh God. God no. Not after…

She opened her eyes. Pulled back. “Marco, I--”

It was over. I stared up at those blue eyes.

“Rachel…I think you’d better go.”


End file.
